I actually have been digging through comic shops overstock and independent boxes lately and have found some great early 1950's stuff for cheap. It's all crap condition, but I buy them for that amazing 50's art. Back when they cared and knew how to draw! I actually picked up Avengers #8 for $5 because of the poor condition. But seeing Kirby on ragged, yellowed paper seem more appropriate. If you can't read it or enjoy the art, it's a waste. Comics like the auction pages posted before this reply will only be displayed and never enjoyed as they should be.

I'm not sure how many comic readers we have here, and I'll admit that I am just getting back to comics after a long lapse...but I saw this while visiting Marvel.com today, and thought it sounded interesting:

I personally haven't really read any Avengers comics since I was a kid, but this sounds pretty interesting. Sounds like it is a big crossover...and I'm sure many of you know much more about it than I do. Anyways, I thought it looked interesting.

Recently, I've kind of started getting back into comics. Outside of Star Wars, it was one of my favorite things as a kid, and I have found (at least so far) that I enjoy them quite a bit now too. After advice from people here and at GH, I have picked up Ultimate Spider-Man TPBs 1-8, and just finished with the Venom arc (#6). This is a really good book, and I'm glad many of you suggested it. I'm trying to get caught up. I also recently subscribed to Amazing Spider-Man. I hope that it is a decent book...it was my favorite as a kid, and as silly as it might sound, I kind of like "getting something in the mail", so I thought I would subscribe. I'm kind of interested in getting a few more titles here and there (checking out an X-Men, Avengers, and/or Fantastic Four book), but I spend enough on Star Wars (and Marvel) stuff already, so I'll probably limit it to Spidey for now. Anyways, any of you reading comics (past or present ones)...or anything you are looking forward to?

I just finally checked out The Authority, and I have to admit, I liked it alot. My first taste of The Authority was an odd choice, I'll admit, because I started with "Transfer of Power" which basically finds the original Auhtority being replaced by lesser versions.

It's a great read, though. Mark Millar wrote "Transfer of Power" and Frank Quitely pencilled it. Warren Ellis created it and wrote it for a while.

Somewhere I read the first half of Avengers 500 on-line. Having no idea what has been happening for the last 190 issues it was about the same old stuff. Ultron, Blown Up Mansions, Vision goes nuts, the twist was some Heroes bit it, and Marvel has this new rule, if you die, you're dead. Interesting....very interesting. They killed Colossus, why not more B-Rate heroes

Thumbed through Avengers #500 today at the local comic shop, it looked good but I didn't feel the need to buy it, I'm sure there will be a Graphic Novel somewhere down the line of the whole Avengers Dissasembled Arc

Avengers #500. I bought it and thought it was quite interesting and it's about time they shook things up. The only Avengers cmic I have picked up in 10+ years besides #500 is a ratty #8 for the Kirby art. If you like the Avengers, you may want to pick up 500, but I also think it will be hard to find and a decent future investment (but who cares, comic investments are risky at best).

I personally do not like much that Marvel is putting out. The Ultimate stuff makes my blood boil because they can't think of anything cool to do with these classic characters in the actual Marvel universe...

I'd recommend the following if you are interested in good art and reads that are modern titles:Spiderman/Doctor Octopus (not sure of the actual title, but it's a mini series)The Losers (Vertigo/DC)Conan (modern & Dark Horse)the new Eightball is great, but quite large in format.Black Hole (indie by Charles Burns)The New Frontier (DC) I think it's called that...Punisher has been pretty good of lateAstonishing X-Men is great and a testament finally to what the X-Men deserve to be (like the older runs of the Uncanny X-Men)The Escapist (DH)Freaks of the Heartland (DH)

blah, blah & blah. I am okay with the modern, but I like the older stuff (on a '50's EC kick right now) and I just root through the back issue boxes looking for ratty copies of that stuff for the art to inspire and as reference. I usually get these premium but battered comics for $4 or less and they are great for what I want to do... Read them! I used to just bag up comics and put them on ice and never read them. What a foolish invester I am/was. Now the investment is purely for the love of the writing and art and inspiration. Then I bag them and put them on ice...

i used to buy 2 of everything when i was really hardcore into collecting. 1 to read, and 1 to just put away. of course, after reading the 1st copy, it was also bagged/boarded and put away. nowadays, when i go into the comic shop, i pick up a few books here and there, and i take them home, read them, and then throw them in a box. like the boxes that paper reams come in? not comic boxes. nowadays, like thomas said, i buy books for enjoyment, to read and look at, and then... well, whatever happens then, happens. i know for a fact that i'm not gonna sell my 100 copies of youngblood #1 and retire. i know i'm not gonna sell all the copies of my run of "rom:space knight" and settle back on the beach. it's just not gonna happen. so now i read, enjoy, have fun, and move on.

and that's about it on a regular basis. every now and then i pick up something else to check it out, but nothing has really struck my fancy in a while. i have been picking up quite a few graphic novels/collected editions tho. seems like the way to go.... wait a few months after a hot book is released, and issues are going for $8 - $10 each.... then they release a $13 softcover containing all 6 issues - the market falls out on the single issues and i get to read the entire story in one night...